Homeschooling and the Washington WASL test

[bluegrassgirl]

A lady at the church I go to recently told me that all homeschoolers in WA State have to take the WASL test, even if they are not in a public school. She said that most private schools now have to take it as well (including those run by churches).

Is this true? The whole point of me homeschooling is so my daughters would never have to take that stupid test (that and I can teach them better than any public school teacher and they are less likely to be given a hard time about their disability). I think the WASL is wrong, especially if they expect a 10th. grader to pass it in order to graduate and they aren't graduating until two years later. My brother took a sample test when he was a senior in high school and even he exclaimed that there is no way a 10th. grade will know geometry or triganometry if they don't even take it until their senior year (at least, my sister and brothe and several of my old classmates didn't take it until that year).

Jessie
(single mommy to Emma, 3 1/2 years and Angela, 2 years)

[chaoticzenmom]

If that's true, I haven't heard anything about it. Does this woman homeschool? I think she's probably full of it. Now, there may be some law about getting your highschool diploma and the WASL, but I'm not even sure about that but it seems that I've heard something about that somewhere. Go to the WHO website and see if there's something there about it.

I think that woman was probably talking about something that she knows nothing about. I've had many people tell me that my children must take the WASL and I just tell them that I have other options available.

Lisa

[GranolaMoon]

This site ~ http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/laws/blWA.htm says WA does require standardized testing, but says nothing about that particular test. There is a link on that page for exemption from high school assessment requirements.

[chaos_pie]

She is wrong. The laws are described on the WHO site.

[grahamsmom98]

Nope, that lady is wrong. No WASL required for homeschoolers.

Ds (age 8 1/2) just took the WRAT-E G1 Test. We ordered it from Family Learnign Organization in Spokane. We had two weeks from the time we received it for ds to complete it (he completed it and we sent it back in a couple of days). FLO administers the test, I acted as proxy server of the test. Voila, state-required standarized testing without having to submit your child to a testing service!! The only way to go!

FLO checks the test and returns the results for you to keep in your records. It is really easy.

[chaos_pie]

Here you go....

http://www.washhomeschool.org/whoWASL.html

[b&c'smama]

My understanding is that you do not have to take the WASL. My understanding is that you do have to have your children take a test, but you have some say in which test, who administers it, and the results are sent to you to do with as you wish. I am not totally clear on all of it, and will need to figure it out this year. One thing I have heard repeatedly though is you do not have to take WASL. One thing that confuses people is that if they enroll in WAVA or some other public school virtual academy, then you are technically enrolled in public school and then you do have to take the WASL.

[HRC121799]

They do not have to take the WASL. you can do a standardized test (such as the Cat 5) or an assessment by a certified teacher. FLO (the Family Learning Organization, they have a website, easy find on google), does assessments, they mail you something, you fill it out, mail it to them, they are certified to look at it and sign it, they mail it back to you, you keep it for your records. They also have a free-style assessment that I hear works great for unschoolers to fill out. No WASL required.

[bluegrassgirl]

Thanks everyone for letting me know this.

Does anyone know the terms for private schools and the WASL test, in case I want to send both girls to a private school in the future?

Jessie
(single mommy to Emma, 3 1/2 years and Angela, 2 years)

[b&c'smama]

I'm pretty sure that private schools do not have to take it either. I think I remember my friend that has her daughters in a Waldorf school said that they don't have to take it.